Fibroids, thick womb lining, mis-shapen cirvix

My mum has been through the menopause but for the past couple of years has been bleeding sporadically pretty heavily. She's finally got the courage to go for tests and has been told today that her womb is thick and her cervix is misshapen (she also read in the notes there was a large fibroid and multiple others). She's now booked into have a camera test to find out what it is but the doctor said it could be bad. What exactly can bad be? Is there a possibility it's cancer or maybe something else. I know until she has the test we won't know but I feel pretty left in the dark with it might be bad but nothing else. Can you help advise?

[Elaine Brown, MD]

HI!
I would be concerned about cervical or endometrial cancer.  The misshapen cervix makes me suspect that something is going on there.  If she does have cancer of the cervix that has been going on for quite awhile--to the stage where it is large enough to see with the naked eye, she will most likely need radiation therapy.  In the US, currently we are combining chemo and radiation--the chemotherapy makes the radiation work better.
I have had several older gals present with late stage cervical cancer and do quite well with the therapy.
Whatever you do, make sure your mom gets in for the tests and treatment--they could very likely save her life!
Dr B